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Musical Theatre

The Newcomb Department of Music offers a non-conservatory Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degree in Musical Theatre, as well as the freedom for any student at Tulane, regardless of major, to participate in classes and audition for performances. The Musical Theatre B.F.A. is a voice-focused program, with lighter requirements for acting and dance; students are free to pursue deeper study in these fields than the major requires as well. The curriculum stresses private vocal lessons and year-round participation in our musical theatre ensemble and also includes music theory, and musicology. In addition to the one or more productions staged by the department each semester and regular student-produced performances, the program is affiliated with Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre, an Equity festival which produces three full-scale musicals every summer. The festival regularly casts Tulane students, for whom it serves both as a professional resume builder and as a summer classroom, where they learn by performing alongside local and out-of-town professionals. Vocal training focuses on classical technique and its applications to contemporary material; graduates of the program are competent both in classical and modern repertoire and can sing in French, German, and Italian as well as English. The major culminates in a half-hour junior recital and an hour-long senior recital.

The major also offers the flexibility for students to pursue courses in other fields or often to double major. Admission to the Musical Theatre B.F.A. program is based on an audition, which takes place during the sophomore year. For this reason, no audition is required for applicants interested in Tulane’s jazz program, but they are welcomed and considered in the application process. Click here for more information on auditions.